Write-once type optical disc, and method and apparatus for managing defective areas on write-once type optical disc

1. A method for managing a defective area on a recording medium, the recording medium including a data area and a lead in area, the data area including at least one spare area, the method comprising: (a) detecting an existence of a defective area within the data area of the recording medium; (b) writing data written in the defective area onto a replacement area of the at least one spare area if the defective area is detected; and (c) writing defect management information associated with the defective area onto one of a plurality of defect management areas on the recording medium, wherein the defect management areas on the recording medium are allocated on the lead in area and within the at least one spare area of the recording medium and the defect management information is written onto a different area from an area of previous recorded defect management information within the defect management areas.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein in the writing step (c), the defect management information includes a plurality of defect lists.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein each of the defect lists contains a present defect list and any previous defect list, such that each of the defect lists becomes a cumulative defect list.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one spare area is either an inner spare area located at a front part of the data area, or an outer spare area located at a rear end of the data area.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the defect management information includes positional information on the defective area and positional information on the replacement area of the spare area used in the writing step (b).

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising: (d) writing disc definition structure information onto the lead in area, the disc definition structure information containing positional information associated with the defect management information.

7. A recording medium, comprising:, a data area including a recording area and at least one spare area, each of the at least, one spare area including a replacement area and a defect management area; and a lead in area including another defect management area, wherein if a defective area within the recording area is detected, data written in the defective area are written onto the replacement area within the at least one spare area, and defect management information associated with the defective area is written onto a different area from an area of previous recorded defect management information within the one of the defect management areas within the at least one spare area and the lead in area.

8. The recording medium as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the defect management information includes a plurality of defect lists.

9. The recording medium as claimed in claim 8 , wherein each of the defect lists contains a present defect list and any previous defect list, such that each of the defect lists becomes a cumulative defect list.

10. The recording medium as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the at least one spare area is either an inner spare area located at a front part of the data area, or an outer spare area located at a rear end of the data area.

11. The recording medium as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the defect management information includes positional information on the defective area and positional information on the replacement area of the spare area.

12. The recording medium as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the lead in area further includes disc definition structure information including positional information associated with the defect management information.

13. An apparatus for managing a defective area on a recording medium, the recording medium including a data area and a lead in area, the data area including at least one spare area, the apparatus comprising: a pickup configured to record the data on the recording medium and reproduce the data from the recording medium; and a controller configured to control the pickup to detect an existence of a defective area within the data area of the recording medium, and to write data written in the defective area onto a replacement area of the at least one spare area if the defective area is detected, and to write defect management information associated with the defective area onto one of a plurality of defect management areas on the recording medium, wherein the defect management areas on the recording medium are allocated on the lead in area and within the at least one spare area of the recording medium and the defect management information is written onto a different area from an area of previous recorded defect management information within the defect management areas.

14. A method for managing a defective area on a recording medium, the recording medium including a data area and a lead in area, the data area including a recording area and at least one spare area, the method comprising steps of: (a) detecting an existence of a defective area within the recording area of the recording medium; (b) writing data written in the defective area onto one of the at least one spare area if the defective area is detected; (c) allocating a defect management area within the recording area; and (d) writing defect management information associated with the defective area onto the allocated defect management area, wherein the defect managament information is written onto a different area from an area of previous recorded defect management information within the allocated defect management area.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14 , further comprising: (e) writing disc definition structure information onto the lead in area; the disc definition structure information containing positional information of the defect management area allocated within the recording area.

16. An apparatus for managing a defective area on a recording medium, the recording medium including a data area and a lead in area, the data area including a recording area and at least one spare area, the apparatus comprising: a pickup configured to record the data on the recording medium and reproduce the data from the recording medium; and a controller configured to control the pickup to detect an existence of a defective area within the recording area of the recording medium, and to write data written in the defective area onto one of the at least one spare area if the defective area is detected, and to allocate a defect management area within the recording area, and to write defect management information associated with the defective area onto the allocated defect management area, wherein the defect management information is written onto a different area from an area of previous recorded defect management information within the allocated defect management area.

17. A recording medium, comprising: a data area including a recording area and at least one spare area, wherein if a defective area within the recording area is detected, data written in the defective area are written onto the at least one spare area, and defect management information associated with the defective area is written onto a defect management area, the defect management area is allocated within the recording area and the defect management information is written onto a different area from an area of previous recorded defect management information within the allocated defect management area; and a lead in area for writing disc definition structure information containing positional information of the defect management area allocated within the recording area.